Thailand forum

My girlfriend and I are spending a month in Thailand from 22nd Aug-17th Sep. We are flying to Bangkok and spending one night (which we have booked a hotel for) then are getting the train to Surat Thani where we will then travel to Koh Samui and spend a few days there, then onto Ko Pha Ngan for a few days, then onto Ko Tao for a few days and finally back to Bangkok where we will fly home. We are wondering whether it would be better to book hotels for specific days in advance or just leave it until we get there?

Mid-June until mid-August is busy with Euro/USA summer break backpckers but then most of them go home, so late August and all of September is usually pretty quiet with rooms/bungaows/etc readily available. Maybe book a place for Samui the first couple nights, but otherwise I would totally wing it.

#2Captain_Bob has been a member since 27/5/2006. Location: Thailand. Posts: 1,944

Yes it is a good idea to book your hotel in advance. Because Bangkok is an exotic destination for spend vacations. So lots of people visit in Bangkok every month for spend their vacations. So, mostly all the tourist try to book hotels in advance.

I caveat the "no booking" with this factor: If you are going to arrive very late at night or very early in the morning, then it's good to book someplace and let them know you need early check in. When I come in to Bangkok on the dreaded night bus, I get there at 5 in the morning. The last thing I want to do in my exhausted state is roam around and try and find a place to stay - especially places that are small and don't always have 24 hour check in.

I typically only book ahead if I'm arriving in a big city after a long-haul flight (particularly if it is late at night), if it is a particularly busy travel time, or if there is somewhere particular I really want to stay. Otherwise, it is easy enough to just turn up and find a room. You can do a bit of research ahead of time to get a few ideas of places that might fit your style and budget and start out there. Cheers.

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